Japan Travel: History, Happiness, Heart at Izumo Taisha, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan

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Japan Travel: History, Happiness, Heart at Izumo Taisha, Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan 【010 Shimane Izumo Taisha】 Subscribe link:http://bit.ly/1p9Y9J1 One of Japan’s oldest shrines, Izumo Grand Shrine, Izumo Taisha (出雲大社) lies in Izumo City, Shimane Prefecture. No one knows the exact date of when the shrine was constructed. However, the existence of the shrine was apparent in the early 700s according to Japan’s oldest chronicles. Izumo Taisha’s main deity (kami) is the Okunininushi no Okami. According to legend, Okuninushi was creator of the land in which Japan lies as well as the ruler of Izumo. He also has another role, which is the deity of good relations and marriage. At Japanese shrines, before a prayer, we clap twice. However, at Izumo Taisha, we clap four times—twice for ourselves and twice for our partner, present or future. The Kamiari Festival is held at Izumo Taisha every year, from the 10th to the 17th day of the 10th lunar month. During this period, it is said Shinto’s eight million deities from across Japan gather at Izumo Taisha. The 10th lunar month is known as Kamiarizuki (“month with deities”) in Izumo and Kannazuki (“month without deities”) elsewhere in Japan. Izumo Taisha’s grounds are quite large and spacious. There are many torii gates and halls, that visitors can explore the grounds to see and experience the magnificence of this shrine. Some places of special importance:  Matsu no Sando: walking north of the large wooden torii gate (entrance into the shrine), the road divides into 3 paths by the pine trees. Please do not use the center path, as it is said this path is reserved for the deities.  Shimenawa in Worship Hall (Haiden): as visitors enter the main shrine grounds, they will see a wooden structure with a huge sacred straw rope (shimenawa) hung across the structure. The shimenawa signifies the presence of a deity and separates divine space from the mortal world. Large shimenawa are a characteristic of this region, found also at other shrines in Izumo.  Main Hall (Honden): behind the worship hall, Honden is 24 meters tall. It is the tallest shrine building in Japan. The current structure, built in 1744, is constructed architecture style is called Taisha-zukuri. Taisha-zukuri is a purely Japanese style which predates the entry of Buddhism into Japan.  Jukusha: in the outer fence area there are two long wooden structures on both sides of the main sanctuary. Jukusha is where the deities meet when they gather for their yearly meeting. Access Information: Izumo Taisha is located in the outskirts of Izumo City, about one hour west of Matsue. Izumo's main railway station is called Izumoshi Station. From Izumoshi Station From the railway station, Izumo Taisha can be reached by either train or bus. *By Train: **Via Ichibata Railways. Transfer trains at Kawato Station. Disembark at Izumo Taisha-mae Station. The journey will take about 20 minutes and the one way fare is 490 yen. From Izumo Taisha-mae station, it takes about 5 minutes on foot to the shrine. *By Bus: **Board the bus from bus stop number one. There is a bus departing the station every 30 minutes or so. The bus ride should take about 25 minutes and the cost is 520 yen one way. From Matsue City From Matsue, Izumo Taisha is most easily reached by Ichibata Railways: *By Train: **Board the train from Matsue Shinjiko Onsen Station. Transfer trains at Kawato Station. Disembark at Izumo Taisha-mae Station. The journey will take about 60 minutes and the one way fare is 810 yen. (Visitors have the option of purchasing a one day pass for unlimited usage of Ichibata trains for 1500 yen) From Izumo Taisha-mae station, it takes about 5 minutes on foot to the shrine. **For Japan Rail Pass holder, taking a JR train from Matsue to Izumoshi Station (25-40 minutes) may be better. For access information from Izumoshi Station, refer to the above “From Izumoshi Station” section.